This invention relates to gas samplers of the type used for collecting samples of gas from ports in furnaces, smokestacks and industrial gas conduits, and more particularly to a novel support system for a gas sampler to permit it to be moved toward and away from a port and to be moved laterally from one port to another.
Gas samplers of this type have been used in air pollution control for periodically checking and analyzing the pollution materials and pollution content of gases released to the atmosphere. The collection of gas samples is particularly difficult in the case of high stacks which vary greatly in size, altitude and location. To facilitate taking gas samples from the ports of tall stacks, the operator must rig the support system from whatever platform is available at the site.
The support systems heretofore available have included a track for supporting the gas sampler for movement toward and away from a port from which the sample is taken and various means for supporting the track, including an angular brace, a depending leg suport and an overhead guy wire. The track and the guy wire or brack have been mounted directly to the stack. Frequently the testing procedure requires taking samples from a plurality of laterally arranged ports and this requires setting up and taking down the support system at each port.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved support system which can be easily and quickly set up and taken down and, when set up, can be utilized to take samples from a plurality of laterally spaced ports, thereby making the testing procedure more efficient and less hazardous.
The support system of the present invention includes a support rail extending outwardly from the surface accommodating the ports to support the gas sampler for movement toward and away from the ports, an auxiliary support for the outer end of the supporting rail, a pair of laterally extending tracks mounted to the wall accommodating the ports and slidable couplings connecting the ends of the rail and auxiliary support to the tracks to facilitate moving the support rail and auxiliary support from port to port. The support system of the present invention can be set up and shifted from port to port to take a plurality of samples before the support system is taken down.